Cage nodded. "He got there before me," he said. "He pretended to be Jack..."

Dom closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "We were with each other the entire time. We... fled, while he was busy..." He opened his eyes again, his shame apparent. "I can vouch for these two," he said. "I figured there was nowhere else to go but here..."

He waved a hand at the massive amount of bandages he was covered in. "As well as can be expected," he said dryly, giving her a grin that didn't touch his weary eyes. "How about you? They've all been climbing the walls wondering what happened to you--except me and Arc. Figured you were dealing. Not everyday you're almost mauled by a three meter spirit panther..." He tensed as he said it, his smile more like a mask.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

His face was smiling, but his eyes weren't. "Yeah, I guess," she said, studying his face. Sure enough, his smile grew more tense as he spoke of the beast. I'm going to kill her. Could one even kill spirits? "Unless you're you. How... long were you in there?" It was almost three months on their side, but for him... hair didn't grow that long in a few months.

"I was...it was..." he began shaking, his breathing becoming quick and shallow, his eyes seeing something terrible. He jerked his head, gasping, and tensing, trying to rein himself in. "Um...don't know..." he said breathlessly. "A while." His whole body was soaked in a cold sweat and he shivered. "Not important. It happened. It's over. Let the good times roll..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

Laura reached out for his hand as he started shaking. Shit. She went too far trying to probe him, and as he shook she gripped his hand harder. "Shut up," she said, "I'm not dumb and it clearly is important, Raz, just fucking be honest with me."

He had recoiled when she touched him and a feral snarl had erupted from him and his eyes glowed fiercely. "I...I'm sorry..." he said apologetically, tears coming out of his eyes. "I just...it was...it was every day...! I was awake...fight...flee...pain...!" He choked back a sob. "You...you can go...I...I know how much that side of me terrifies you..."

Last edited by Venom on 8th September 2015, 9:28 pm; edited 1 time in total

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

She pulled her hand back as he snarled. Shit. Should have checked if he was okay with that. She herself hadn't really been a fan of physical contact...

Oh my god, she thought. Was this what I was like?

Laura pulled back as he went into what looked like a panic attack - yes, this was her, all of this she was all too familiar with. She reached for the handkerchiefs and grabbed a handful, putting them on the bed in front of him. "I'm staying," she said.

She couldn't lie, his anxiety fed into hers, and she could feel her own pulse get faster, but this was fucking important.

He reached and grabbed for her hand, wincing, but held it. His hand bore calluses, cuts and bruises. "I...if you wish," he said giving her hand a light squeeze. "I just...I'm sorry...gotta remember. Forgotten what...what kindness felt like. Anything touching me there..." He shuddered, letting go of her hand and laying back. "Sorry, it's...I...feel fucking exhausted..." He looked at her. "Never thought I'd see any of you again..." His eyes went skyward, tears falling from them. "I'm sorry..." he said, sudden shame marring his features. "I...just...I'm so sorry...!" He fell into quiet weeping, curling in on himself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

She went dead silent as Raziel broke down in front of her. Jesus. This...

That monster was going to fucking pay for this. She turned her distress into anger, and it felt like it was going to burn a hole in her chest. "Don't apologize," she said quietly. "Don't you dare, you did nothing wrong." How was she supposed to help him?How had he tried to help her?

She stood up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She awkwardly held out her arms for a hug. "May I...?"

He nodded, gingerly accepting the hug. As he did, he gripped her tightly. "I'll...I'll be fine...I'll be...I just...time..." he choked, trying and failing to stem his grief. He lost his words and just quietly wept on her shoulder, occasionally managing a hoarse apology.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

She held him as he wept, her hands shaking with the rage she felt. That thing had taken the man she knew and spat him back out like this. And she knew painfully well what it felt like. She knew what it felt like to be broken down like... like this. When she first tried to leave the city and ran into the rape gangs, every day back home when another neighbor was taken, every day she lived feeling hunted by literally everyone.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to become the person she'd been before everything went wrong. But she knew that she didn't want to stay the wreck she was. And she couldn't let Raz become the same.

He had no more energy afterward, promptly falling asleep thereafter. Arcturus was outside the building when Laura left. "You're good for'im," he said mildly, looking off in the distance. "He's been dancing around the rest of us, trying to put on the brave face, holding it all in. He's gonna need...I don't know what...but support definitely. He's..." Arcturus growled and slammed a fist against the wall, cracking it. "Damn it all, what I saw in there...he's like the kid all over again, but broken instead of angry..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

The chair in the infirmary became her new domain, and there was hardly a minute she spent outside of Raziel's room. She stayed awake for him while he slept and napped during the day - still, she slept little while at his side. No one entered the room without her tacit approval - sure, she couldn't actually throw anyone out, but anyone who overstepped their bounds was bound to leave soon anyway, what with the creepy-ass girl sharpening her knife in the corner chair.

In the weeks to follow, Raziel didn't say much and was mostly withdrawn. Having that outburst had gotten him to stop the front, however, he still wouldn't talk about what happened. Or perhaps couldn't.

His sleep was fitful, still, and a few times he awoke snarling. He was surprised by Laura the most. Though most definitely alarmed, she refused to leave. She also didn't press him, for which he was eternally grateful.

Arcturus and the others would drop in regularly, but also blissfully kept silent. He could smell the concern coming off of them, and the extreme curiosity of the Librarians. They all wanted something from him and it made the room stifling and more like a prison. He wanted out of here and away from everything. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.

While they couldn't vastly improve healing here due to the nature of the damage, it was still faster than normal. They had informed him that he'll recover with minimum scarring and permanent damage, but then they noticed that he was improving far beyond what they expected. He knew what that was about: Bastet. She wanted her hunter on his feet and doing his "job." He could feel no gratitude.

After a month, he was able to be up and walk with a cane. His body had been severely weakened by his ordeal and would need to regain his healthy weight. His body was obliging with a nearly ravenous hunger, making him eat enough for ten people constantly. But each day, he was getting stronger.

He took to walking the valley once he was strong enough to make it that far. And once he was, it was where he went as soon as he was awake. He soon learned the best trails--not the ones with the best game. For that was there, but no, he wanted the paths with the least people. Or no people at all.

Within another month, his sutures were clean and he was able to start climbing. He took advantage of it, finding a nook by the waterfall. The sound was blanketing and calming. And isolating. He just wanted to be alone, but he'd never be alone again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

It had been two months already. After a month Raziel was up and walking, and a month later he was rarely around. Laura continued the practice of sleeping in the chair in his room - it was easy enough to rest there, she'd slept in trees for years - but still as time passed she'd wake to see he'd already left, sneaking past her while she slept.

For a while, his movement and increased activity was exciting news - but as he kept disappearing, she grew more and more uncertain about whether it was a good thing. For months since she first confronted him he'd at the very least stopped pretending to be okay - but he still rarely spoke. She was starting to become the social butterfly of the two, and she still was still chasing off nearly everyone who entered the room.

She couldn't blame him for not wanting to talk to the Librarians, but for the others? Those who genuinely gave a shit about him and not just what he experienced? It was about damn time he stopped this nonsense.

Laura started relying on the librarians and other pilgrims around to tell her where he went every day, and as soon as she had an idea as to the places he'd go she set off after him. She was carrying a pack across her back and her bo staff in her hand, and she paced the less populated trails, searching for some sign of him.

Laura crossed her arms in the middle of the trail she was on, thinking. When she wanted to go alone, she went up. So that's where she'd check. She spent an hour or so looking up in the trees until she happened to think of the waterfall, and she clambered up the rocks near it until she happened to see a nook behind the falls.

She pulled herself up into the nook, catching sight of Raziel inside. Bingo. "Nice place you got here," she commented as she straightened up and took off her pack.

He had smelled her before she got there. Hell, he'd heard her grunting to get up here. He gave her the barest nod as he sat with his head leaning against the rock wall, looking through the waterfall and the distorted view through it. Oh, how the roles had reversed. His chuckle was bitter.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

He said nothing, and she shrugged opening the pack she brought with her. She pulled out of it her knives, some rations, and from the very bottom a bottle of scotch and two shot glasses.

She set the scotch down next to her, in between the two of them. This isn't going to work... But she couldn't think of anything else to do. All she had to work with was what Raz himself used to try on her.

She cleared her throat. "It's been a while since we've played this game," she said. "So how 'bout it?"

To be honest, it had taken her a long time to decide to give this a shot. She still wasn't comfortable talking about herself and all. The things I do for this motherfucker.

He sighed and mulled it over a few long minutes. The roles had switched so much it was almost eerie. He could now appreciate how annoyed she must've been with him when he first offered this game up. And guarded. He felt...cornered. But then, the game was designed for an easy out. And with his metabolism, he could drink her under the table...

He shrugged, his sign of assent, waiting for her to ask her damned questions.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

He shrugged - well, he didn't throw her out into the falls, so she figured it was probably a yes. "Alright," she said, pouring herself a shot and sliding the other glass over to him. She hadn't really been thinking this far ahead. She really did expect it to fail. She was silent for a while. "Is this place where you always go?"

He poured a shot into her silence while she mulled over her question, sighing when it finally came. "No," he said after a second, "but it's one of my favorites. The noise of the water drowns out everything." He could feel...almost as he used to before. "How did you keep pace with me on the way here?" Arcturus would've only showed them the general direction. For the last they'd have had to get a bead on his tracks--which he hadn't been trying to hide. He'd gotten the general idea of the when, as confusing as time here was, and had gleaned they'd have had to have been not long after to be even as close behind as they were when they made it.

Of course, it was also dependent upon the tests, which is what stalled Laura and Kieran, but not Natalie, who didn't have a test and came before them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^

Laura leaned back as he answered her question. Really, that he was just talking to her at least was as much as she could have hoped for. She nodded at his question. "Bikes," she said simply. "How did you think you could get away from Natalie?" She smirked.

He grimaced when she answered. Arcturus, that ass. When she asked her next question, he mused for a few minutes. "Didn't," he said finally, "but it's a tradition of the Mau clan that they go alone. And it's also part of the laws of anyone who knows of The Archives to not deny anyone who seeks to go, only to warn them of the danger. The Caves of Trial will weed out the unworthy."

A slight smirk played on his face for a minute before dying. "How many times did you fall off of that bicycle in your crash course attempts to ride it?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Avi and Sig set made by the awesome Skylar! Thank you so much!

I claim:

Spoiler:

Tamaki Kawazoe and Kirino Chiba from Bamboo BladeKana Minami from Minami-Ke!Aika from Skies of Arcadia ^_^